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Monday, August 30, 2010

The Luna Notte fabric line inspired me so much that I couldn't stop working on my new design called Madrigal. The definition of Madrigal is: "A short poem, usually a love poem which can be set to music with or without accompaniment." Luna Notte fabric is a stand alone fabric line that doesn't need music. It is so gorgeous it just sang to me. I'm still designing the center, which will be appliqued. One hint.....it will not be a house!

I spent the extra time to fussy cut some roses.

Remember Wuthering Heights by 3 Sisters? I had a little scrap that also made "the cut." This fabric line sang to me also.

I'm off to the shop today, Monday, for my regular work day. Hope to see some of my quilting buddies there. Come back to see what the center section of this quilt is going to be.

Friday, August 27, 2010

I received an email from a reader asking me about my machine quilting "space." So after much straightening up, dusting off and overall spring cleaning my machine quilting room.....here it is.

I have lots of storage underneath my Handi Quilter for the plastic drawer units available at Target. They hold all my thread, stencils, rulers, and of course lots and lots of kits, patterns and fat quarters. I just breezed through the house and gathered up every quilt that was easy to pick up and put them on the machine rails so I didn't have to sort out the drawers and tidy them up.

I print and collate all of my patterns on the back counter. My computer is directly across from the quilting machine where I'm sitting at this very moment blogging. I always have music playing in the background....ALWAYS. At any given time, you will hear everything from Classical music to Pink Floyd to Country. It all depends on my mood at the time and what my current project is.

One of these days, I'll clean up my actual sewing room and post pictures. But don't hold your breath on that one!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

This quilt was made by Kathy, a friend and fellow quilter. She enrolled in The House of Edgewood Lane class that I taught at the shop a while back. She stopped by the shop so I could see it last Monday. I'm so glad I had the camera. Her choice of colors was fabulous. She still has to put on the borders, and then off to the quilter it goes! Kathy, I love your quilt! Thank you so much for making my pattern with your personal touch and color sense. Now I'm in a quandary as to which project to work on. Yesterday I decided to make just ONE block out of the Luna Notte fabric. FOURTEEN blocks and setting triangles later......I decided I needed to get back to hexagon flowers for Summer's Blush quilt.

Those of you that are a fan of Moda and 3 Sisters, probably remember the Wuthering Heights line of fabric a few years ago. My leftovers are melding in beautifully with the Luna Notte fabric line. Since I never throw anything away......I have quite a few scraps to incorporate.

The flange is back. (Or gutless piping as Susie calls it.) I had this cute little black and pink stripe in my stash to use as an accent. I've always wanted to make a black and rose quilt.....and now I'm getting the perfect opportunity to make one with the prettiest fabric you can imagine.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Take a look at Clermont Farms fabric by Polly Minick & Lauri Simpson for Moda. They hit the ball out of the park again! While I was working last Monday, the UPS delivery man arrived with layer cakes and a fat quarter tower of this fabric. The tower just happened to follow me home to the cabin. I'm making a table runner for all of our American holidays. One can never be too patriotic.

I also have an idea for a queen-size quilt too using this fabric. It is gorgeous! I've added the dotties and checks from my stash. Here's part of the line. The rest looked like a fireworks explosion on the dining room table.

This is the same block pattern as Summer's Blush that will be finished soon. Yes, there are more hexagons.....just can't make enough of the little guys. Of course the checked flange is a must for a truly Americana quilt. All I needed to add to the table was an apple pie!

Speaking of hexagons, for those of you working on my Party in the Garden pattern, should check out this tutorial that I found yesterday. Click here for the best tutorial that I've seen about hexagons on the Internet. I tried this method last night and I LOVE IT! It is quick and easy. My only issue was finding a paper clip here at the cabin. Would you believe we had ONE paper clip in the whole place. I could have driven into town, but that would have taken all of the fun out of the search.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Your Party in the Garden bundle of fabric is "in the mail." I wish I had a cute little mailbox outside my home just like this one. If you've been keeping up with the program, your top corner will be completed soon.

You could personalize the mailbox block with your last name on the box....our your house number would be cute also.

How do you make your flying geese? For absolute accuracy, I use a flying geese ruler. It takes a bit more fabric but the results are spot on! If you don't already have one, it is worth the investment and is a tool you will be glad to have. Best yet, you can make four flying geese at a time!

My embroidery skills were a little rusty so this block has just a touch of little green tendrils. More would be nice if you are feeling inspired.

I would love to see pictures of what you've done so far.....especially if you've changed up the design and fabric. The ladies in my drop-in class are adding a few of their own touches and I love their results. Send pictures to patched55@comcast.net and I'll post them to the blog.

Have a wonderful day and week!

As always,Lynn

P.S. Don't forget the preview party at the shop tonight, Tuesday Aug. 17th at 6:30. We will be displaying all of the projects for the upcoming classes for the next three months. The new class schedule will be posted HERE this week. The schedule is full and there is something for everyone.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

I love football season! It gives me a good excuse to sit down during the day and do some applique, work on bindings or apply a hanging sleeve to the back of a quilt. Today I finally finished up all of the hand work on Sallie's quilt......it feels so good to put a completed check mark by this project on my list.

I've just got to share with you a fabulous new "tool"....or better yet a very convenient way to effortlessly finish up your hanging sleeve so you can hang up your quilt, and step back to enjoy the fruit of your labor. Check out the Quilters Hangup. I went all through school in Paradise, California with the inventor of this wonderful product which doesn't make me too biased, but it's fun to say you know the inventor, Terri. She sent me a Quilters Hangup and I'm hooked on the Hangup!I put every table leaf I own in the kitchen table and spread out the quilt. (So much easier than working on the floor.)

You lay out the Quilters Hangup, cut it to the desired length, follow the clear and concise directions and you are ready to display your quilt. (After you sew it on during the 49er pre-season football game!) The Hangup has a patented design that allows the quilt to hang flat. Other than the fact the quilt is too big to hang up in my entry hall and bunches up on the stairs, I love the way it hangs.

Once Sallie's quilt is finished hanging up in the shop, I plan on removing the sleeve to use again on another quilt.....while Sallie retires to grace the bed at the cabin. The Quilters Hangup comes in a 3 yards length, so you have lots to work with and it also comes in black.

Thank you for sending me the sample Terri. You made my day so much easier and I really appreciate it.

Friday, August 13, 2010

I'm sorry for not posting very often over the past couple of weeks. Life gets so busy with visitors, wedding and birthday celebrations, and just everyday living and maintaining the house and the cabin. But I did manage to quilt ALL DAY yesterday....what a treat to be able to devote an entire day to nothing but quilting.

I worked on Summer's Blush, my newest design that I'm trying to complete before the next big quilt show.

It's over halfway completed thanks to the time spent yesterday. There are many different elements to this quilt. You have the pinwheels in the center surrounded by the star points. The fabric by Fig Tree & Co. is an absolute joy! The different lines work so well together.

There's the sashing that just sets the blocks off nicely.

....and then there are the adorable little hexagon flowers. While sitting out on the deck yesterday afternoon making these little gems, I was listening to all of the birds that gather around the bird feeder. Instead of just listening, I was hearing an avian Morse code. I wish I could crack their code and know just what they were discussing with their families and friends.

Another element to the quilt is the red flange around the setting and corner triangles. Just that small little touch of color adds so much to the overall design.

This is turning into a nice lap-size quilt. I also think that I'm going to put it on the kitchen table for a cheerful summer "look." Or I'll put it on the back of a couch to use on a cool summer evening.

I love the flanges.

As a budding, quilt designer, my quilting bible is Setting Solutions by Sharyn Craig. This book is full of useful information. I've read it from cover to cover just like a novel. It's a good read.

Back to the city tonight after dinner. Joe is busy working in his wood shop and I have uninterrupted quilting to do! I have to make 21 more hexagon flowers which take me one hour each.....you do the math!

As always,

Lynn

P.S. Check out the "It's In The Bag" sale at In Between Stitches. http://www.inbetweenstitchesblog.com/ All order placed online will also receive a 20% discount if items fit into "the bag". Postage will be $10 for all orders to be able to ship tote bags.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

One of the hazards of working one day a week in a quilt shop, is being exposed to all of the beautiful, wonderful, fabulous new fabric. I was really behaving my budget and pocketbook.....until I saw Luna Notte fabric by 3 Sisters for Moda.

If I see something that I like, I try to wait at least a week before I get out the checkbook. Well that theory lasted about two seconds when I saw Luna Notte. My mind is in a constant flutter just thinking about what I can make.

I took the fat quarter tower apart today just so I could really see the different designs. This was a remarkable show of self restraint on my part, since I've had this tower for a couple of weeks now. I was so afraid that if I unwrapped the tower, I would get out the rotary cutter and start in on another new project.

The yardage will be arriving at the shop very, very soon. I can't wait for the UPS delivery truck to arrive.

This fabric line is ME. It is my house, my cabin, my style down to the finest detail. You will be seeing more of this on the blogsite!

It's a wonderful blend of florals and paisleys. No plaid.....but I'm sure I can find something in my fabric closet that will fit in rather nicely. Doesn't plaid go with everything?

My pictures just aren't doing justice to this fabric....trust me......you are going to love it!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend and have a wonderful week planned...or unplanned. Just enjoy life and all it has to offer.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

In order to get new material for my blog, I'm going back a few years.....four to be exact to show you a quilt that I made using fabric from Fig Tree & Company called Cornucopia. The last two posts have been all Fig Tree fabric. Can you tell I love it!

The pattern is called Heart & Souls by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company. Just about every quilt I make gets a picture taken out on the back deck. It's a fun and easy pattern to make. I made this one for my son and daughter-in-law. It's just a good lap size quilt for cuddling on a cool evening in front of the TV. Here I am with my Aunt Arlene posing in front of the quilt. It hung at In Between Stitches before I ever became an employee there. The quilt had a job before I did! The quilt goes together so easily and the Fig Tree material had a wonderful "fall" feel. My daughter-in-law April, loves to decorate for Autumn so I knew she would like this quilt.

Speaking of Autumn.....it has been rather chilly in the San Francisco East Bay Area. We should be in the 90's and 100's this time of year. The thermometer barely makes it to the 80's. I'm not going to complain! The air conditioner hasn't turned on for days......which means more money to spend on fabric!